Page 120 - Brokenclaw - John Gardner

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table, the thick, tinted glass resting on two long drums of marble. Everything

from cushions to the telephone were what is known as state-of-the-art – a term
which made Bond wince, but he winced easily at many other cumbersome
assaults on the English language, such as ‘at this moment in time’ or ‘take on
board’, and appalling new words like ‘mindset’.
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The bedroom was decorated in the same shades, but here they took on an
almost feminine lushness. A tall four-poster, hung with lace and frills, matched
the gauze-thin curtains falling in swirls almost from the ceiling to the floor.
Their luggage was placed neatly on folding racks near a long walk-in closet

which took up an entire wall. Underfoot it felt as though you might have to cut
your way through the carpet with a machete. The bathroom, which Brokenclaw
showed them with some pride, was marble and gold with a massive whirlpool
bath as the centrepiece.
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Chi-Chi gasped.
‘I designed this guest suite myself,’ Brokenclaw purred, ‘like many other
things in this house. The refrigerator is well stocked and there is fresh fruit on
the table there. Now I trust you will sleep well. When you wake, simply press

nine on any of the telephones and order what you will.’
Bond followed him into the main room, and at the door Brokenclaw smiled
his friendly all-embracing beam. ‘If you require any stimulation,’ he came
close, his voice dropping to a whisper, ‘just press the button marked M on the

bed console. It unveils a superb set of mirrors over the bed.’ He winked, and,
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for a moment, the proud face became that of a lecherous schoolboy.
When the door was closed, Bond walked around examining the TV and
stereo equipment, then, as though he had suddenly had a thought, he went over

to the telephone and ripped a sheet from its small message pad. At the big glass
table, he swiftly scribbled a note, taking it straight through to Chi-Chi who he
found had started to experiment with the many bottles of scents, bath oils and
the like. He pursed his lips, handing the slip of paper to her. ‘Just a note

regarding the cameras. We’ll have to ask Mr Lee about them in the morning.’
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She nodded after reading it, then tore it up and flushed it away in the
bathroom, giving him a look as if to say, ‘I’m not a fool, not even a trained
fool.’

Bond nodded, and they began to talk of the imagined journey from China to
Hong Kong, then of the arrival in New York and their time with Myra.
‘What a highly strung girl she is.’ Chi-Chi was starting to undress. ‘As

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